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Old  South  Church  and  City  Hall  1828. 


VeRGEsrER  Legends 

INCIDENTS,  ANECDOTES,  REMINISCENCES,  ETC.. 

CONNECTED  WITH  THE   EARLY  HISTORY  OF 
WORCESTER,  MASS.,  AND  VICINITY. 


COMPILED  BY  WILLIAM  A.  EMERSON,  CORRECTED  BY  FRANKLIN  P.  RICE 
AND  PUBLISHED  BY  DENHOLM  &  McKAY  CO. 


COPYRIGHT  1905. 


View  of  Main  Street,  1836,  showing  Old  South  Church  and  City  Hall  on  the  Right. 


/  I 


INDIAN 


REMINISCEKCES. 


F 


UST  when  the  first  settler  located  in  Worcester  is 
not  positively  known,  but  previous  to  1674  one 
person,  Ephraim  Curtis  from  Sudbury,  sett^f^  iip€)1a 
his  claim,  situated  on  what  is  now  Lincoln  stre^*. 
Other  settlers  soon  followed,  among  the  more  noted 
of  whom  were  Captain  Daniel  Gookin  of  Cam- 
bridge, Daniel  Henchman  of  Boston,  Thomas 
Prentice  of  Woburn,  and  Lieutenant  Richard  Beers 
of  Watertown. 

Previous  to  the  advent  of  the  whites  Pakachoag 
Hill,  near  where  the  College  of  the  Holy  Cross  now  stands,  was  the  seat, 
or  headquarters,  of  a  tribe  of  about  one  hundred  Nipmuck  Indians,  under 


Sagamore  John  ;  another  tribe  of  about  the 
same  number  occupied  Tatnuck  Hill,  under 
Sagamore  Solomon.  Until  the  breaking  out 
of  King  Philip's  War  these  sons  of  the  forest 
seem  to  have  lived  on  the  most  pacific  terms 
with  the  white  settlers,  and  under  the  in- 
fluence of  that  distinguished  apostle  to  the 
Indians,  John  Eliot,  many  of  them  had  made 
considerable  advance  in  civilization,  and  some 
had  professed  Christianity.  Here  they  pur- 
sued their  rude  arts  of  husbandry  and  predatory  life  combined,  evidence 
of  which  is  conclusivel}^  shown  in  the  numerous  Indian  relics  exhumed  from 
time  to  time.  Under  these  favorable  circumstances  a  permanent  settlement 
was  rapidly  being  made,  when,  in  the  summer  of  1675,  the  war  instigated 
by   King  Philip,    in  Plymouth  Colony,  spread    to    Massachusetts    Colony, 


carrying  destruction  and  terror  in  its  track.  The  tribes  of  Sagamores  John 
and  Solomon  became  the  allies  of  Philip,  and  the  planters  of  Worcester,  re- 
mote from  friendly  aid,  upon  the  destruction  of  the  nearest  settlements, 
Mendon,  Brookfield,  and  Lancaster,  were  compelled  to  desert  their  planta- 
tion and  disperse  among  the  larger  towns.  The  savages  took  possession 
of,  and  burned  the 
Worcester  settlement 
Dec.  2,  1675. 

Among  the  set- 
tlers of  Worcester, 
who  took  part  in 
the  desperate  battles 
with  the  Indians 
which  followed, were 
Captain  —afterwards 


General — Henchman,  who 
was  made  commander-in- 
chief  of  the  mihtia  of  the 
vsettlement;  Lieutenant 
Richard  Beers,  who  was 
killed  in  an  engagement 
with  the  Indians  at  North- 
field,  and  Lieutenant  Phin- 
eas  Upham,  who  was  mor- 
tally wounded  in  the  attack 
on  Narragansett  Fort. 

The  war  was  not  of 
long  duration,  but  Philip 
and  his  followers,  driven 
from  place   to  place,  took 


refuge  among  the  Nipmuck  villages,  where  they  found  a  welcome  and 
shelter,  and  from  whence  they  continued  a  predatory  warfare  on  the  more 
exposed  and  isolated  dwellings  of  the  settlers.  Lincoln,  in  his  admira- 
ble History  of 
Worcester,  says  : 
"Alarm  prevailed 
throughout  New 
England.  None 
knew    when     to 

expect  the  visitation  of  the  foe,  lurking  unseen  in  the  solitude  of  the  forest 
until  the  blow  fell,  as  sudden  as  the  lightning,  and  left  the  effects  traced 
with  fire  and  blood.  The  husbandman  went  forth  to  cultivate  the 
field,  armed  as  if  for  battle ;  the  musket  and  sword  rested  by  the  pil- 
low, whose  slumber  was  often  broken  as  the  war-whoop  rose  on  the  watches 
of  the  night." 


It  is  said  of  King 
Philip  that  "his  enmity 
was  national,  not  individ- 
ual. He  had  staked 
everything  on  the  struggle 
and  fought  to  the  bitter 
end  according  to  the  es- 
tablished mode  of  Indian 
warfare." 

He  was  opposed  to  the 
introduction  of  Christian- 
ity among  the  Indians, 
and  when  Mr.  Eliot,  the 
missionary,  urged  the  im- 
portance   of    Christianity 


told  him  he  "  cared  no  more  for  the  Gospel  than  he  did  for  a  button  upon  his 
coat."  The  war  ended  with  the  death  of  King  Philip,  in  the  summer  of  1676, 
and  found  Quinsigamond  occupied  only 
by  Indian  women,  children,  and  men 
too  old  to  bear  arms,  the  warriors  having 
either  been  slain  in  battle  or  fled  to 
Canada.  On  account  of  the  threatened 
Indian  depredations  the  settlement  re- 
mained deserted  for  several  years,  but  in 
1684  a  second  attempt  at  settlement  was 
made.  The  plantation  was  then  named 
Worcester,  signifying  war-castle,  it  having  been  known  previous  to  that  by 
its  Indian  name,  Quinsigamond. 

The    first    garrison    house,  the  Old  Indian  Fort,  was   erected   between 
Grove  and  Lincoln  streets,  near  the  fording  place.       It   was    a    two-story 


structure  built  of  logs,  loop-holes  for 
musketry  and  port-holes  for  cannon. 
Near  by,  on  the  West  side  of  Mill  brook, 
was  built  the  first  saw  mill,  and  a  corn 
mill  was  afterwards  added.  These  mills 
were  owned  by  Captain  John  Wing,  who 
came  from  Boston.  The  first  corn  mill, 
however,  was  built  by  Elijah  Uhase,  on  the  stream  near  the  wire  works  at 
Quinsigamond.  Captain  Daniel  Gookin's  lots  were  located  on  Pakachoag 
Hill,  overlooking  what  is  now  Quinsigamond  village,  and  a  tract  of  land 
called  Raccoon  Plain  between  South  and  New  Worcester.  General  Hench- 
man's location  was  near  Captain  Wing's,  and  included  the  site  of  the 
Worcester  and  Nashua  freight  depot  and  Henchman  street.  The  garrison 
house  of  Digory  Serjent  was  located  on  Sagatabscot  Hill,  on  or  near 
Winthrop    street.     Beside  the    garrisons  already  mentioned  there  was  one 


owned  by  Thomas  Brown,  north  of  Adams 
square  ;  another  on  the  West  side  of  Main 
street,  near  Chatham,  and  another  at  the 
junction  of  Exchange  street  and  Main. 

The  settlement  continued  to  grow  until 
about  the  commencement  of  the  eighteenth 
century,  when  it  was  a  second  time  broken 
up  by  the  Indians,  among  the  victims  be- 
ing the  family  of  Digory  Serjent,  who  was 
killed  while  defending  his  garrison  house, 
and  his  wife  and  children  were  taken  pris- 
oners. All  the  white  inhabitants,  with  the 
one  exception  of  Serjent  and  his  family, 
fled  from  fear  of  the  hostile  Indians.  He 
resisted    the    entreaties    of    the    committee 


having  the  settlement  in  charge,  to  seek  safety  in  flight,  and  remained  un- 
molested through  the  summer  and  fall  of  1702.  Upon  the  approach  of 
winter  an  armed  force  from  Marlboro,  in  pursuit  of  the  Indians  who  had 
just  committed  depredations  there,  arrived  at  the  house  of  Serjent  and 
"found  the  door  broken  down,  the  owner  stretched  in  blood  on  the  floor, 
and  the  dwelling  desolate." 
The  soldiers  followed  the  trail 
of  the  Indians  for  some  dis- 
tance, but  so  rapid  was  their 
retreat  they  were  not  over- 
taken. The  pursuing  party 
returned  and  "buried  Ser- 
jent at  the  foot  of  an  oak." 
The    exact    location    of    his  /^^^ 


grave   is   not   known   at   this 


day.  The  children  of  Serjent  were  taken 
to  Canada.  Martha,  John  and  Thomas 
were  afterwards  redeemed,  Daniel  and  Mary 
it  is  said  were  held  captive  and  never  re- 
turned. The  eldest,  Martha,  upon  her 
return  married  Daniel  Shattuck  of  Marl- 
boro, received  her  father's  estate  by  will 
and  entered  into  possession,  living  for  some 
time  in  a  cabin  constructed  from  the  material 
of  the  old  house,  removing  afterwards  to 
Marlboro.  She  was  a  witness  of  the  death 
of  her  father  and  mother,  and  gave  the 
following  particulars  of  the  awful  double 
tragedy:  "When  the  Indians  surrounded 
her   father's    house    he    seized    his    gun    to 


defend  himself  and  family  ;    he  was  fired  upon 

and  fell ;  the  Indians  rushed  in  and  despatched 

him  and  tore  the  scalp  from  his  head.     They 

then  seized  the  mother  and  her  five  children 

and    began   a    rapid    retreat.     The  wife    and 

mother,  fainting  with  grief  and  fear,  impeded 

their  flight,  and  while  ascending  the  hills  of 

Tatnuck  a  chief  stepped  out  of  the  file  and 

looking    around    as    if  for    game    excited    no 

alarm    in    the    sinking 

captive.   When  she  had 

passed  by  one  blow  of 

his  tomahawk  relieved 

the    savages    from    the 

obstruction      to      their 


march."  During  her  seven  years'  captivity  Martha  was  the  unwilHng  wit- 
ness of  numerous  barbarities  inflicted  by  the  Indians  on  their  defenseless 
captives.  She  saw  many  prisoners  burned  at  the  stake  and  her  own 
fears  were  often  excited  by  the  fiendish  inteUigence  that  soon  they 
should  have  another  dance  when  she  would  be  the  victim.    The  Sargeants  of 

Worcester  county  are  many 
of  them  descendants  of 
Digory  Serjent,  the  name 
having  been  changed. 

The  third  and  permanent 
settlement  of  Worcester  was 
commenced  in  1713,  the  In- 
dians having  at  that  time 
ceased  to  haunt  the  settle- 
ment. 


A  favorite  rendezvous  of  the  savages  in  this  vicinity  during  the  eariy 
days  of  the  settlements  was  Wachusett  mountain,  in  the  neighboring  town 

of  Princeton.  Their 
camping  ground  was 
on  the  northeast  side, 
near  the  margin  of 
Wachusett  lake.  Here 
their  council  fires  were 
lighted,  expeditions 
planned  and  treaties 
made,  and  here  Mrs. 
Rowlandson  remained 
for  some  time  after  her 
captivity,  until  she  was 
ransomed.     Not  only  was  King  Philip  with  her  captors  but  several  of  the 


leading  chiefs,  among 

them  Qjiinnapin,   the 

master  of  Mrs.  Row- 

landson,  and  his  wife, 

the  celebrated  "  Squaw 

Sachim"    Metamo, 

"  Qjieen    of  Pocasset,"   next   to    Philip    in    influence    and    cruelty.       Mrs. 

Rowlandson,    in    her    quaint    narrative  "Twenty    Removes,"  refers    to  her 

mistress  as  "A  severe  and  proud  dame,  bestowing  every  day  in  dressing 

herself  near  as  much  time  as  any  of  the  Gentry  of  the  Land,  powdering 

her  Hair  and  painting  her  Face." 

Mrs.  Rowlandson  was  here  when  the  Indians  returned  from  Marlboro 
and  was  present  at  the  grand  pow-wow  both  before  and  after  the  attack  on 
Sudbury.  The  ransom  of  Mrs.  Rowlandson  was  secured  through  the 
efforts  of  Mr.  John  Hoar,  who  bravely    came  among   the  hostile  savages 


and  opened  negotiations  for  her  release,  which  was  effected,  after  a  great 
deal  of  ceremony  and  delay,  at  a  place  tradition  locates  in  a  meadow  near 
a  huge  bowlder,  since  known  as  "Redemption  Rock,"  and  near  the  shores 
of  the  pond  of  the  same  name.  It  is  said  that  Philip  opposed  the  release  of 
the  captive,  and  that  Mr.  Hoar  was  obliged  to  conciliate  Quinnapin  with  a 
pint  of  rum,  upon  which  he  at  once  got  beastly  intoxicated.  The  details  of 
the  negotiation  are  not  known,  but  Mr.  Hoar  at  last  succeeded  in  obtaining 
the    release    of  Mrs.  Rowlandson    and    her    return  to  Lancaster.       In    the 

summer  of  1880  Hon. 
George  F.  Hoar  of 
Worcester,  who  is  a  de- 
scendant of  John  Hoar 
of  Concord,  purchased 
about  half  an  acre  of 
land,  in   the    center   o^ 


which  "Redemption 
Rock"  is  located.  The 
location  of  this  rock  is 
near  Everettville,  on  the 
west  side  of  the  road, 
onl}^  a  short  distance  from 
the  highway.  Upon  one 
side,, which  rises  some  twelve  feet  from  the  ground,  is  engraved  the  follow- 
ing inscription:  "Upon  this  rock,  May  2,  1676,  was  made  the  agreement 
for  the  release  of  Mrs.  Mary  Rowlandson  of  Lancaster,  between  the 
Indians  and  John  Hoar  of  Concord.  King  Philip  was  with  the  Indians  but 
refused  his  consent." 

Hanaford,  the  Historian  of  Princeton,  relates  that  about  the  time  of 
the  revolution  a  daughter  of  a  Mr.  Keyes,  aged  four  years  and  eight 
months,  wandered  off  and   became    lost    in    the  Wachusett    woods.       The 


people  for  thirty  miles  around  col- 
lected and  for  weeks  searched  for 
her,  but  without  success,  nothing  of 
the  child  was  ever  discovered,  and 
the  parents  believed  she  had  been 
carried  oft^  by  the  Indians.  This 
was  made  more  probable  by  the 
story  of  two  men,  who,  years  after, 
on  a  trading  expedition  to  Canada 
related  on  their  return  that  they 
found  living  among  the  Indians  a 
white  woman  who  knew  nothing 
further  of  her  birth  or  parentage, 
than  that  she  once  lived  near 
""Chusett  Hill." 


-^^ 


The  elevation  of  Mt.  Wachusett  is  2,480  feet  above  the  sea  level,  the 
highest  of  the  range  of  hills  which  extend  across  the  state  from  north 
to  south. 

The  view  from   the   summit  extends  over  portions   of  six   states,  and  in 

"^  a  clear  day  it  is  said 

carl}^   three   hundred 

V  ities  and  villages  can 

he  distinguished.  The 

i^reat  majority  of  these 

are    in    the    direction 

^  of  north-east,  east  and 

south-east ;     the    vast 

|/anorama      extending 

from    the    interior     to 

"..  Lil  the  sea-coast. 


Washacum  lakes 
in    Sterling     were 
also  the  favorite  re- 
sort of  the  Indians. 
Here,  just  between 
the  two  lakes,  was 
the  capital  of  Sho- 
';^\5  Ian  Sachem  of  the 
'—  Nashaways      or 
^^Nashawogs.     It 
was  at  his  instance 
that  the  first  Eng- 
lish   settlement    in 
In    the  wigwam  of   Sholan  Indian 


the  limits  of  the    county  was  made. 

councils  were  held  and  the  grounds  around  it  were  devoted  to  Indian  sports 


games,  and  "regattas"  were  held  on  the  waters  of  the  lake.  Here  was 
located  an  Indian  church,  and  by  invitation  of  Sholan,  a  trader  of  Water- 
town  built  a  "trucking  house"  near  by  and  opened  a  store. 

The  old  Sagamore  and  his  son  dying,  the  new  Sachem,  Matthew  or 
Sagamore  Sam,  a  nephew  of  Sholan  and  a  very  different  kind  of  an 
Indian,  became  an  easy  dupe  of  Philip.  In  his  wigwam  between  the  lakes 
the  plan  was  laid  for  the    utter  destruction  of  Lancaster. 

The  first  naval  battle  on  the  inland  waters  of  Massachusetts  was  fought 
at  Washacum.  In  May,  1776,  Captain  Henchman  when  marching  towards 
the  Connecticut  valley  was  informed  that 
there  was  a  party  of  hostile  Indians  at  this 
lake.  He  turned  hither  and  surprised  a 
party  in  their  canoes  taking  fish.  He  led 
an  instant  attack  upon  them,  killing  seven 
and  taking  twenty-nine  prisoners. 


Apples  and  Cider. 


EARLY  DAYS  IN  THE  SETTLEMENT. 


OR  many  years  after  the  Indians  ceased  to  trouble  the 
settlement  the  best  energies  of  the  inhabitants  were  given 
to  the  work  of  subduing  the  wilderness.  The  story  of 
these  early  labors  has  a  peculiar  fascination  to  us,  their 
descendants,  although  lacking  the  same  interest  elicited  by 
the  recital  of  Indian  atrocities. 

The  wilderness  lay  before  them,  the  lonely  and  solemn 
woods  used  for  generations  by  the  Indians  as  a  hunting 
a  ground,  the  stillness  at  last  broken  by  the  ringing  tones  of 
the  axe  and  the  sound  of  falling  timber,  accompanied  by  the  echoes  of  the 
voices  of  the  woodmen  at  their  work ;  then  came  the  time  for  burning  the 
dry  trunks  and  branches,  the  planting  of  barley  and  corn,  the  building  of 


houses  and  barns,  walls,  fields,  and  roads, 
and  in  the  course  of  time,  when  the  stump- 
age  had  become  sufficiently  decayed,  re- 
moving the  charred  stumps  and  roots  by 
the  use  of  oxen  and  heavy  chains,  then 
levelling  the  land,  removing  the  stones,  and 
at  last  introducing  the  plough ;  after  this 
followed  the  various  processes  of  planting, 
the  setting  out  of  fruit  trees  and  vines,  until 
the  wilderness  was  maae  to  blossom  as  the  rose. 

Only  those  who  have  lived  in  frontier  towns  can  appreciate  the  toil 
incident  to  the  opening  of  such  a  wilderness.  One  writer  of  New  England 
history  has  said:  "An  immense  amount  of  the  most  exhausting  labor  must 
be  expended  in  the  process.  The  world  looks  with  wonder  on  the  dykes 
of  Holland,  the  wall  of  China,  the  pyramids  of  Egypt ;    I  do  not  hesitate 


to  say  that -the  results  produced  by  the 
small,  scattered  population  of  the  American 
colonies,  during  the  first  century,  in  tearing 
up  the  wilderness  by  the  roots,  transferring 
the  rocks  with  which  the  surface  was 
covered  into  walls,  opening  roads,  building 
bridges,  and  making  a  rough  and  broken 
country,  smooth  and  level,  converting  a 
sterile  waste  into  fertile  fields,  blossoming  with  verdure  and  grain  and 
fruitage,  is  a  more  wonderful  monument  of  human  industry  and  perse- 
verance than  them  all.  It  was  the  work,  not  of  mere  hired  laborers,  still 
less  of  servile  minions,  but  of  freemen,  owning  or  winning  by  their 
voluntary  and  cheerful  toil  the  acres  on  which  they  labored,  and  thus 
entitling  themselves  to  be  the  sovereigns  of  the  country  they  were  creating." 
During  the  early  years  of  the  settlement  there  were  only  a  sufficient 


number  of  mechanics  to  do  the 
absolutely  necessary  repairs,  to 
dress  the  cloth,  which  was  home- 
spun and  made  in  the  family,  to 
do  the  blacksmithing,  make  the"!^^ 
ploughs  and  other  farming  im- 
plements, to  make  and  mend  the 
custom  shoes,  etc.  It  was  a 
common  practice  for  the  shoe- 
maker to  pack  up  his  "kit"  and 
go  from  house  to  house,  making 
up  the  shoes  for  the  year. 

Nearly  every  farmer  had  his 
field  of  flax,  and  some  had  flax 
to  sell.     The  wives  and  daughters 


made  cloth  of  it  for  the  family, 
and  the  boys  at  an  early  age 
learned  to  brake  and  swinge  it. 
The  early  houses  of  the 
settlement  were  one-story, 
with  stone  chimneys,  and  built 
principally  of  logs,  and  the 
windows  in  many  of  them 
were  of  oiled  paper  instead  of 
glass.  The  interiors  were  un-||^^^ 
finished  and  almost  destitute  of  furnishing,  the  benches,  tables  and 
chairs  being  home  made.  The  chimneys  were  large  enough  in  most 
cases  to  allow  of  seats  inside  the  fireplace,  where  a  person  sitting  in 
the  evening  could  watch  the  stars  through  the  top  of  the  chimney. 
The    cooking    was    done     principally    in     iron     pots     and    kettles,    which 


hung  over  the  fire  on  a  swinging  crane  suspended   by  hooks  of  different 
lengths.       Wild    game,    fowls,  and    sometimes  pigs, 
were  roasted  or  spitted  whole,  the  spit,  an  iron  rod 
sharp  at  one  end,  being  thrust  through  the  meat  and 
turned  about  before  the  fire  while  it  roasted.     M( 
was    also    broiled     by 
contact    with    the   live 
coals,  and  corn   bread 
or  pancakes  were  has- 
tily   prepared    in    pans 
and  also  baked  before 
the    coals.      The   bak- 
ing,   including    the 
brown  bread  and  beans, 
was  done  to  a  nicety  in 


^ 

^^^^^ 

B 

the  brick  oven  adjoining.  The 
tinder-box  and  flint  were  used  for 
lighting  the  fire  and  the  bellows 
to  fan  it  into  a  blaze.  The  an- 
cient iron  candle  sticks  or  tallow 
dips  stood  on  the  mantle  piece,  and  above  on  wooden  pegs  hung  the  old 
flint-lock  musket  and  powder  horn.  The  piggin,  skillet,  and  other  roughly 
constructed  articles  of  culinary  use ;  the  tin  lantern,  candle  and  bullet 
moulds ;  mortar  and  pestle,  hour  glass,  the  steelyards,  the  birch  broom,  the 
iron  fire  shovel  and  tongs,  and  other  articles  of  daily  use  either  hung  on  the 
walls  or  stood  in  their  accustomed  places.  The  bare  ■'^nor  and  the  wooden 
settle,  the  dresser  with  its  pewter  plates,  platters,  etc.,  the  reel  and  quill- 
wheel,  the  wooden  churn,  straight  back  chairs,  the  old  eight-day  clock  in 
the  corner,  were  familiar  objects  in  nearly  every  New  England  home. 

The  monotony  of  life  in  the  settlement  was  varied  by  occasional  social 


gatherings,  in  which  labor  and 
merrymaking  went  hand  in  hand. 
The  old  fashioned  husking  and 
quilting  parties  were  looked  forward 
to  and  indulged  in  by  all,  men, 
women  and  children  alike  entering 
into  the  enjoyment  of  the  occasion. 
After  the  hay  and  grain  were  gath- 
ered and  the  corn  and  pumpkins 
were  harvested,  then  came  the  merry 
husking  party.  When  the  corn  had 
been  brought  into  the  corn  house  or 
barn  and  arranged  in  convenient  rows  and  heaps  an  evening  was  appointed 
for  the  husking.  Towards  the  close  of  the  appointed  day  the  neighbors, 
old  and  young,  for  miles  around  began  to  assemble.     They  came  in  wagons 


and  carts,  or  on  horseback,  clad 
in  plain  homespun,  and  at  early 
twilight  began  their  merry  labors. 
The  red  ear  was  industriously 
sought,  as  it  entitled  the  finder  to 
salute  each  fair  maiden  in  the  room. 
The  ladies  of  course  were  allowed 
the  same  privilege,  but  seldom 
availed  themselves  of  it.  Some  un- 
fortunate young  man,  however,  after 
hunting  in  vain  would  find  his 
sweetheart  equal  to  the  emergency, 
a  red  ear  wouIq  find  its  way  into  his  hand,  and  the  generous  young  lady 
would  be  repaid  by  the  first  kiss.  Sometimes  there  would  be  a  scarcity  of 
red  ears,  in  which  case  recourse  would  be  had  to  a  choice  collection  from 


the  garret  which  had  seen  active 
service  in  times  gone  by,  and  which 
although  showing  signs  of  age 
were  too  welcome  to  excite  suspi- 
cion or  inquiry.  The  young  men 
found  exercise  for  their  gallantry  in 
helping  their  fair  companions  to 
corn  from  the  heap,  and  in  remov- 
ing the  accumulation  of  husks ; 
then  there  were  songs  and  stories 
and  gossip ;  sometimes  the  whole 
company  were  in  breathless  silence 
while  some  old  veteran  slowly  rehearsed  a  tragic  tale  of  Indian  warfare  and 
blood,  and  then  the  whole  house  would  resound  with  loud  peals  of  laughter 
which    followed    some  comical  story  or   bright  flash  of  wit.      Those  who 


could  not  rehearse  incidents  even  of 
doubtful  heroism  in  the  army,  had 
their  fund  of  divers  anecdotes  of 
struggles  with  bears,  minks,  wild- 
cats, foxes,  musquash  and  coons. 
After  the  labors  of  the  evening  were 
finished,  the  company  repaired  to 
the  house,  where  the  tables  were 
loaded  down  with  cake  and  dough- 
nuts and  pies,  the  pumpkin  pies 
baked  in  great,  deep  platters,  and 
the  best  cheese  reserved  to  be  cut 
on  this  occasion.  After  a  hearty  repast,  at  which  coffee  and  cider  were 
bountifully  supplied,  the  kitchen  was  cleared  of  furniture  and  the  festivities 
wound  up  with  "blind-man's  buff"  and  other  sports,  or  the  old  folks  were 


dismissed  and  the  rest    of  the  time 
devoted  to  dancing. 

As  the  long  winter  evenings 
drew  on  social  gatherings  became 
more  frequent,  neighbors  would 
assemble  at  the  house  of  some  one 
of  their  number  and  by  their  united 
labor  accomplish  in  a  single  evening 
what  it  would  have  taken  the  family 
months  to  do.  The  patchwork  quilt- 
ing would  all  be  done,  the  corn  and 
nuts  all  shelled,  the  young  birch 
stripped  down  in  their  strands  and  birch  brooms  enough  made  to  last  a  year 
in  house  and  barn,  and  many  other  useful  offices  rendered.  Outside  of  these 
'?)ccasions,  in   which   labor  and  jollity  were  mingled,  the  games  and  amuse- 


ments  were  few 
and  simple. 
Many  of  the 
young  men  were 
experts  at  the 
games  of  ball, 
such  as  base  and 
football.  Shovel- 
board,  domino, 
backgammon, 
fox  and  geese, 
and    checkers 

were  common  home  amusements.     The  old  fashioned  New  England  winter 
gave  opportunity  for  sleighing,  skating  and  coat^ting. 


LAWS,  CUSTOMS,  AND  DRESS. 


T  would  seem  that  our  forefathers  were  not  inclined  to  place 
a  premium  on  dishonesty  and  crime,  at  all  events  they  provided 
laws  which  were  exceedingly  troublesome  to  offenders,  and 
rendered  the  indulgence  of  profanity,  lying,  Sabbath  breaking, 
and  kmdred  habits,  extremely  dangerous.  One  favorite  in- 
strument of  punishment,  the  pillory,  consisted  of  a  wooden 
frame  in  which  the  offender's  head  and  hands  were  made  fast ; 
the  victim  being  thus  exposed  to  public  ridicule.  The  ducking- 
stool  was  used  in  some  places  for  the  punishment  of  women  who  were 
scolds  or  slanderers.  Blasphemy  was  sometimes  punished  by  placing  the 
tongue  of  the  swearer  in  the  opening  of  a  split  stick. 

The    stocks  were    also  used  to    discourage  petty   offenders,  and  cages 


for  the  imprii,onment  of  crimi- 
nals before  jails  were  provided. 
The  time  selected  for  punish- 
ment in  the  pillory,  stocks  or 
cage  was  usually  some  public 
holiday  or  market  day,  and  in 
the  most  public  place,  to  make 
the  shame  greater. 

The  whipping  post  was 
also  a  familiar  object  in  those 
days  and  in  the  case  of  more 
notorious  offenders  they  were 
given  a  liberal  number  of  stripes,  a  turn  at  the  pillory  and  an  hour's  sitting 
on  the  gallows  with  the  rope  around  the  neck. 

The  Sunday  l--^  a^s  in  New  England  were  rigorously  enforced.     Tything- 


men    with    a   stafl'  or    rod   in 
their  hands  kept  order  during 
tiie    long    services.       These 
rods  sometimes  had  a  ball  on 
one  end  and  a  fox  tail  on  the 
other.     The  men  of  the  con- 
gregation   were   kept    awake 
by  a  tap  from  the  heavy  end, 
and  if  a  woman  was  caught 
napping   she   was    awakened 
by    the     fox     tail     brushing 
^oJto^szfj.j:-.''^^      against  her  face. 
The  town  constituted  the  parish  in  those  early  days,  and  every  one  was 
expected   to   attend    church    regularly   and   constantly,  and  it  was  a   part 
of  the  duty    of  tlic   tything-man    to    look    up   absentees   and   bring   them 


before  a  legal  tri- 
bunal if  necessary 
to  secure  their  at- 
tendance. 

The  seating  of 
the  meeting-house, 
and  allotting  of  pews 
according  to  the  dig- 
nity and  wealth  of 
the  individual,  often 
created  dissatisfac- 
tion among  the  inhab- 
itants and  sometimes 
their  grievances  were 
the  subject  of  discus- 


sion  at  town  meet- 
ing. In  the  earliest 
meeting-houses  the 
men  and  women 
usually  sat  apart. 
The  galleries  were 
usually  free,  the  men 
and  boys  on  one  side 
and  the  women  and 
girls  on  the  other, 
with  the  singers'  seats  opposite  the  pulpit.  In  the  coldest  weather  there 
were  no  fires  for  heating  the  church,  but  many  of  the  people  brought  small 
tin  foot  stoves  in  which  coals  were  placed,  and  it  was  customary  to 
replenish  them  with  fresh  coals  at  the  neighboring  houses  as  occasion 
required. 


The  Oread  Institute  originated  by  the  Hon.  Eli  Thayer  in  1848. 


MISCELLANEOUS. 


ANY  of  the  old  buildings  of  historic  Ititerest  have 
been  removed  within  the  last  quarter  of  a  century 
so  that  little  now  remains  of  the  Worcester  of  the 
past.  One  after  another  have  "succumbed to  the 
inevitable,"  and  at  last  the  most  familiar  and 
cherished  landmark,  the  Old  South  Church,  stand- 
ing in  the  way  of  improvement,  has  passed  from 
sight.  This  church  edifice  was  erected  in  1763  ;  it 
was  seventy  feet  long  and  fifty  wide,  with  a  tower  on  the  north  end,  sur- 
mounted by  a  steeple  one  hundred  and  thirty  feet  high.  The  principal  en- 
trance was  on  Main  street,  through  a  porch,  but  in  1827  this  entrance  was 
closed,  the  porch  removed,  and  an  entrance  made  through  the  tower  and  the 


square  pews  and  ancient  pulpit  were  removed.     In  1886  the  rights  of  the 
First  Parish  in  the  common  were  transferred  to  the  city,  subject  to  award  of 


damages  by  legal  authority,  and  tl 
$320   and    torn     down,    the 
parish    receiving  an    award 
of  $148,400  damages. 

The  first  county  court 
house  was  built  in  1732-3 
on  the  site  where  the  pres- 
ent court  house  now  stands. 
The  location  has  always 
been  styled  "Court  Hill." 
Judge  Jennison  gave  the 
land,  and  the  building  was 
put  up  in  1733. 


t   nit  (  tiri^-hoiisc  \\ 


hi  al  auLlion    foi 


The  exchange  Hotel  was  first  known  as  the  "  United  States  Arms," 
afterwards  as  "Slices'  Coffee  House."  General  Washington  breakfasted 
here  in  1789  and  General  Lafayette  in  1825. 


Court  Hill.     Horth  or  Brick  Court  House  completed  in  1803.     Granite  Court  House  in  1843. 


The  ancient  Salisbury  mansion  at  Lincoln  square  was  erected  by  the 
elder  Stephen  Salisbury  in  1770.  It  presents  almost  the  same  general 
appearance  it  did  when  first  built. 


REVOLUTIONARY   PERIOD. 


iiiiiiiiiiii 

liiiiililM 

IlilllilllMllllilMMIIIIIIIiliiliili^ 


HE  present  city  of  Worcester,  with  its  one 
hundred  and  thirty  thousand  inhabitants,  was 
at  the  time  of  the  Revolution  a  village, of  less 
than  two  thousand  and  with  a  voting  popula- 
tion of  less  than  three  hundred. 

There  were  at  this  time  throughout  the 
Colonies  two  opposing  political  parties,  the  Tories  and  the  Whigs.  The 
Tories  or  "loyalists,"  comprised  some  of  the  most  respected  citizens,  who 
were  wealthy  and  influential  in  town  affairs ;  the  majority,  however,  were 
Whigs.  The  leading  members  of  the  latter  party  just  previous  to  the 
Revolution  favored  what  was  called  the  "American  Political  Society,** 
which  at  that  critical   period    had   a  marked  influence    over  town  affairs. 


and  controlled  to  a  certain  ex-^ 
tent  the  actions  of  the  loyalist 
party.  The  members  agreed 
not  to  buy  or  use  any  English: 
goods,  particularly  tea,  until g 
the  odious  stamp  act  was  re- 
pealed. Long  and  excited 
discussions  were  held  in  town 
meetings  over  resolutions  to 
oppose  all  enroachments  on  American  liberties.  The  Tories  entered  a 
protest  against  these  resolutions.  This  protest  was  rejected,  but  the  town 
clerk,  Clark  Chandler,  himself  a  persistent  Loyalist,  and  one  ot  the  signers, 
entered  the  protest  upon  the  Records.  When  the  fact  of  its  entry  was 
discovered  the  patriots  were  indignant  with  the  town  clerk  for  insulting  the 
town  by  his  unwarranted  procedure.     A  petition  was  at  once  presented  to 


1  I     .  mKy*'  mim.f     ^iii  i^irf    ■     .     ^Q  selectmen  asking  for  a  special  meetings 
C  (^^^pfW^^^^'^MT'T^'/^Jm  I     which  was  held  Aug.  24th,  1774. 
>     /v.'^^7/!l^/rs^'//ill\  The  town  "voted,  that  the   town   clerk 

do  in  the  presence  of  the  town  obliterate, 
erase,  or  otherwise  deface  the  said  recorded 
protest,  and  the  names  thereto  subscribed, 
so  that  it  may  become  utterly  illegible  and 
unintelligible."  The  clerk  then  with  pen 
and  ink  defaced  line  by  line  the  pages  on  which  the  obnoxious  record  was 
"made,  but  this  not  satisfying  the  patriotic  indignation  of  the  voters  there 
assembled  he  dipped  his  fingers  in  the  ink  and  drawing  them  across  the 
records  completed  the  work  of  making  them  illegible.  A  vote  was  thcrt 
passed  admonishing  him  to  be  more  circumspect  in  the  execution  of  the 
duties  of  his  office,  and  that  he  never  give  the  town  the  like  trouble  of 
calling  a  town  meetingj again  on  such  an  occasion. 


When  the  time  came  for  action  the 
patriotic  citizens  of  Worcester  were  ready 
to  respond.  Upon  receiving  news  from 
Lexington  and  Concord  the  b.-ils  were 
rung  and  cannon  fired,  and  a  company 
under  Captain  Timothy  Bigelow  gathered 
on  the  common  and  after  a  prayer  by  Rev. 
Thaddeus  Maccarty  proceeded  ^t  once  to 
the  scene  of  conflict. 

On  the  19th  of  April,  1861,  the  anni- 
versary of  the  departure  of  the  minute  men 
in  1775  fo^  ^6  seat  of  war  near  Boston, 
the  beautiful  monument  erected  on  the  com- 
mon to  the  memory  of  Colonel  Bigelow 
was  dedicated.      It  is  an  interesting  fact 


thai  only  two  days  before, 
the  Worcester  Light  In- 
fantry, who  were  to  have 
taken  part  in  the  exercises, 
had  started  with  the  Massa- 
chusetts Sixth  for  the  de- 
defence  of  Washington,  and 
at  the  very  time  the  dedica- 
tion ceremonies  were  going 
on  at  Worcester  were  bravely 
fighting  their  way  through 
Baltimore 

Another  important  event 
of  the  revolutionary  period 
took     place    on     Saturday, 


i'ji.-ff-n^*^'**^*''*^*^ 


July  13th,  1776,  when  the 
messenger  bearing  the  Dec- 
laration of  Independence 
stopped  on  his  way  from 
Philadelphia  to  Boston  to 
bait  his  horse, and  the  famous 
document  was  read  to  a 
hastily  assembled  crowd 
from  the  west  porch  of  the 
Old  South  meeting  house. 
It  was  also  read  m  church  the  next  day  by  the  pastor,  Rev.  Thaddeus 
MacCarty,  and  printed  for  the  first  time  in  New  England  in  the  "Massachu- 
setts Spy  "of  July  17th.  After  the  reading  of  the  Declaration  of  Inde- 
pendence the  assembly  proceeded  to  the  Court  house,  from  which  they 
removed  the  coat-of-arms  of  Great  Britain  and  consigned  it  to  the  flames. 


A  select  company  of  the  sons  of 
freedom  then  proceeded  to  the 
King's  Arms  tavern,  (where  the 
Lincoln  House  now  stands.) 
The  innkeeper  cheerfully  com- 
plied with  their  request  to  take 
down  the  sign  bearing  the  king's 
arms,  and  it  was  burned  in  the 
street.  The  evening  was  spent 
m  a  general  jubilee  over  the 
commencement  of  the  new  era. 

The  following  are  some  of 
toasts  drank  on  that  occasion  : 
"George  rejected  and  liberty 
protected ,"     sore    eyes     to    all 


Tories,  and  a  chestnut  burr  for  an  eye-stone ;"  "Perpetual  itching  without 
the  benefit  of  scratching,  to  the  enemies  of  America;"  "May  the  enemies 
of  America  be  laid  at  her  feet;"  "  May  the  freedom  and  independency  of 
America  endure,  till  the  sun  grows  dim  with  age  and  this  earth  returns 
to  chaos." 

It  is  recorded  that  notwithstanding  the  excitement  of  the  day,  with  its 
accompaniment  of  the  ringing  of  bells,  firing  of  cannon,  and  other  demon- 
strations of  joy,  the  greatest  decency  and  good  order  was  observed,  and  at  a 
suitable  time  each  man  returned  to  his  respective  home. 

Among  the  relics  of  the  Isaiah  Thomas  printing  office,  now  in  the 
possession  of  the  American  Antiquarian  Society,  are  the  old  ramage  press 
upon  which  the  Spy  of  July  17,  1776,  was  printed,  the  imposing  stone  upon 
which  the  forms  of  the  Spy  were  made  up,  as  well  as  the  type  stand,  cases, 
chase,  and  two  composing  sticks  used  at  this  time. 


,-^i    AUG  1976 


